This invention relates to structural members for use primarily in the construction of houses and other buildings.
A typical building, such as a house, includes a variety of different structural or framing members. Examples are wall studs, floor and ceiling joists, roof rafters, partition wall studs, etc. These members have traditionally been made of wood, although in recent years sheet metal studs have found increasing use.
While wood performs well, it has drawbacks such as increasing scarcity and the resulting higher cost, and it is susceptible to damage from fire, insects and rot. On the other hand, sheet metal structural members conduct heat (or cold) through a wall, and some metal structural members tend to buckle when exposed to high temperatures. Further, many builders are not familiar with the techniques required to build with metal parts.
It is a general object of the present invention to avoid the foregoing disadvantages by providing a structural member and a wall assembly having a reduced cost and reduced susceptibility to thermal conductivity.
A structural member constructed in accordance with this invention comprises a body part and edge covers which are attached to the body part. The body part is formed by a core formed of a composition including gypsum. The core has opposed edges, and the edge covers extend over the opposed edges.
The invention further comprises a wall assembly including one or more of the above structural members.